Reunion
by StarlightFangirl
Summary: "She disappeared, into thin air. And I don't love her anymore. I would never love a cruel person like her." When Ichigo disappears, what will Kashino do? More importantly, will she come back? And if she does...Will the heartbroken blond treat her just as another fangirl of his, or will the couple ever reunite and love each other again?
1. Prologue

**Me: Hey~! :) **

**Ichigo: Sugoi ne! Another new story, Hoshimi-chan? xD**

**Me: Yup! xP This story will be one of my personal favorites, 'cause it's very special to me~! ;)**

**Ichigo: Why is it very special to you? **

**Me: It's dedicated to all my fanfiction friends! I might even dedicate each chapter to a different person. I'm not sure though! Oh, and by the way…this story will be a little hard to write for me…**

**Kashino: O.O BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN IN MY POINT OF VIEW?! **

**Me: Yep! The whole multi-chaptered story; each and every chapter, delivered in Kashino's POV! Anyway…Without further ado, I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere and I hope you enjoy this story! :) And this is the first time I ever tried a writing style like this, so it's a little…different. You've been warned!**

Reunion

Prologue: Teenage Memories

Her disappearance was simply shocking.

If she were a drop of water, she would have melted into the sea; mixing with so many different salty substances it would be impossible to find her. If she were a leaf, she would have left to the forest, into the thick trees with thousands and billions of leaves. The seasons would change and the sun would smother the colors of the leaves, and it would take inhuman ability to find her. Finding her would be like finding a needle in a haystack. She couldn't be serious about our marriage. She abandoned me; leaving me with my bewildered, mixed, confusing feelings about her.

I still don't understand why she left me. In fact, I never understood why she abandoned me. For one, I don't remember doing anything wrong. I didn't betray her or cheat on her, so that wasn't the reason. Thanks to Henri-sensei, we went to London and created a shop. That was when we started dating. Our conversations were light-hearted and fun. She was always cheerful; brightening my day and cheering me up. I fell for her wide puppy eyes every time, _every _single time. We always smiled when we were together, and we knew we loved each other with all our hearts.

So I decided to take the next step. I thought my life would improve, change for the better, when I proposed to her. I was almost 100% sure that she would say yes to our marriage. After all, she said she loved me, right?

I was almost floating in seventh heaven when she agreed to our marriage; even though I completely expected her answer. She put a genuine warm smile on my face; I was no longer stoic and emotionless. I was different now, almost transforming to a different person. Some of my classmates didn't even recognize me. I was constantly happy and cheerful because she affected my life. We had dates until the day of the wedding. I acted as generous and unselfish as possible, giving her my wallet every time and allowing her to buy sweets to satisfy her endless stomach.

Our wedding was supposed to be a happy day. Hanabusa had designed the wedding exterior, all the clothes patterns and everything. Yet, the most important person, the person I wanted to see the most, the person I loved with all my heart, the girl I yearned to shower with love and affection…

_Didn't _come.

That's right. She was my bride, the person I was supposed to marry. Yet she was the absent bride. She didn't show up at all. I was filled with depression and remorse, wondering everyday what I did. The wedding was cancelled, obviously. If I couldn't even find her, how could I marry her?

She was the cruel person in my opinion. She cast a dark shadow over my heart. I never loved anyone except her, and I thought she showed the same to me. She didn't show up to our wedding. She didn't come. She abandoned me. She left me. She left no note; she changed her address, her phone number, even her _name. _She changed everything, especially my life.

She didn't love me.

At all.

I was chasing after her mere shadow, loving her sincerely; wishing that I could finally get a grasp to her. But I was unsuccessful. I couldn't find her at all. I took a flight to Japan to look for her in her old home. Nope, I didn't find her. I even went to Marie's Garden to see if she came back to work at La Reve Coleur. I was wrong; she wasn't there either. And she _definitely _wasn't in London.

So where was she?

She had simply, disappeared, almost into thin air. She didn't even say goodbye to me. She didn't even notify me that she would be leaving. She didn't care about my feelings, she wouldn't want to know if my emotions had been messed up and confused. She wouldn't even bat an eyelash if I told her she tore my heart, ruining all the love I ever had for her.

I suffered without her. I struggled to continue my life without her usual optimistic, warm smile and without her chocolate wavy hair that flowed down to her shoulders. I missed her soft pink lips, the ones that pulled me into a gentle kiss every time we had a date together. I wondered everyday what I did to deserve her when we were dating, but now I know a fact – I don't deserve her. I never deserved her.

I tried to forget her. Wiping her from my memory was the only thing I could do, since I could never be healed from my heartbreak. Trying and failing, trying and failing, trying and failing. Finally, one day, I completely wiped her from my mind. I didn't love her anymore. I had lost all spirit that she was going to come back to me and tell me that she still loved me. I lost all hope that she was EVER going to come back.

Amano Ichigo; the girl who broke my heart.

**Me: Okay…I know. That was…**

**Ichigo: Not your writing style.**

**Me: Hey, um, at least this isn't a tragedy! Kinda. **

**Kashino *rolls eyes*: "Kinda"? You seriously made me sound super cheesy in that short chapter.**

**Me: It's just a prologue! Anyway, tell me your thoughts on this prologue and if you think I should continue it! Please review! :) **


	2. Marie's Garden

**Me: So…this is it. The first chapter of Reunion.**

**Kashino: By the way, Hoshimi made herself a stupid goal that she will never be able to accomplish.**

**Me: Dx Eh?! Okay, you didn't have to be so mean! T.T Anyway, my goal is to publish at least 3 different updates (some of them are new stories, though) all before I start school! :3**

**Ichigo: Hoshimi-chan's school starts next Monday! 19****th**** August, to be exact.**

**Me: Yep! Anyway, this is the update of Reunion! I hope you guys enjoy it and I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere! By the way…I gave Kashino a more rebel-like personality. xP Sorry about that…**

Reunion

Chapter One: Marie's Garden

Why am I thinking about her again? I'm not supposed to think about her. I don't even love her or anything. She was someone who faded in the black and white memories of the past. She was just a girl in my history. Just one of those annoying, pestering fangirls that admired me to no end. Gushing about the amazingly talented, stunningly handsome chocolate sweets prince. Like all those other girls back in Saint Marie Academy…

Still in a slight daze, I drag my suitcase behind me. Finally, I arrive at the house I'm supposed to stay at. I stare at it with my eyelids narrowed, just slightly. It's more of a Japanese style. Well, that was…kind of…expected.

That's right. I came back to Japan just a night ago. Andou told me to help out at Yumezuki. He says he needs a new headline product for his menu. I couldn't decline him, after all, he had helped out a lot when we were against Koshiro Miya in that competition some years ago. I sigh irritably. Creativity for sweets has never really been my thing. It's always been the sort of thing Amano would…take care of.

Whatever. Not like I care. We'll make up a sweet that will be much better than that Amano could have ever thought of. Dream of, even. A confident aura surrounding me, I knock on the door.

Ichita opens the door. He's really grown up now. His dark hair sweeps across his eyes, the bangs just slightly on top of them. His eyes are a dark shade of brown, not chocolate, but even darker than that. A plate of red bean cake is in his left hand, the fork in his right. An amused smile playing across my lips, I smirk, "Hey, I thought you hated cakes?"

"That was history, mabodofu." He retorts. "Come on, just come in. We prepared slippers for you. Just put your shoes here, though."

I scan my surroundings. They moved into a much bigger house now that Andou opened Yumezuki in Marie's Garden. There are polished cherry wood floors and three windows in the spacious living room. Light colored curtains adorn the windows; making it very pretty and somewhat calming in a way. I take off my shoes and change into the slippers Ichita prepared for me, awkwardly trying to find a place to put my suitcase.

I mean, I knew Andou was neat, since he's my childhood friend and all, but I never knew he would go to this extent. The things in the bookshelf and even the shoe cabinet is arranged in a flawlessly neat way. The books are organized as if their house was an library, and the shoes are sorted by color and size. A comfy couch sits in the middle of their room, with some lights and tables, as well as a television.

"Well…" Ichita hesitates, "I guess…make yourself at home."

"Thanks." I mutter, finally deciding to drag the suitcase with me, "So, I assume I'm sleeping in the guest room, right?"

"Yeah." Ichita smiles smugly, "Hanabusa…well, let's say…hm…decorated the room…for you."

"Why do you call your brother and Hanabusa by their names now and call _me _by my nickname?" I narrow my eyes into slits as Ichita leads me to the guest room. I widen my eyes, suddenly understanding what he means. Annoyed, I grumble, "I don't like him to decorate things…He's just such a plain narcissist."

Ichita smirks sadistically and slides the door to the guest room smoothly. It reveals a comfortable room. It's quite spacious and there's a bedside table, a desk, a chair and a bed inside. What irritates me the most is the roses everywhere.

Rose petals on the bed. Big, fresh roses on the table. Roses hanging from the ceiling. There are some roses on the floor, too. All of them are different colors, from red to purple. It's beginning to look like a multi-colored flower playground. I already feel nauseous. Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms, "Ichita, I'm not gonna stay at your house if it's infested with roses."

"Too bad, 'cause you're gonna have to extract the roses yourself. See ya." With that, Ichita finishes the last of his red bean cake and heads towards the kitchen. I sweep up the roses and kick them into the rubbish bin.

I don't know how many times I've done that already.

Damn Hanabusa.

"Hey, Ma-kun." A more deep, friendly voice greets me. I turn around quickly to see Andou. Almost instantly, a relieved smile appears on my face.

"You gotta fix that attitude of Ichita's. And stop calling me Ma-kun. Kashino is fine." I state firmly. Pushing my suitcase near my bed, I put my hands on my hips, "So, what should we do now?"

"…Can't you give me a somewhat…_normal _greeting?"

"Fine." I try again, "Hi."

Andou nods in response, "…Well, let's go to the kitchen and start planning out a headliner menu item!"

"I suppose so."

~X~

"So, you want to make an sweet that contains red bean, has an unique flavor, and isn't in this shop yet?" I ponder on the idea, "That will increase Yumezuki sales…"

"Well, it has to be a dessert too, but that's obvious."

"How about something that is cold?" I suggest, "Something that will be refreshing and cold, yet has flavor and is unique?"

"Maybe something that is chewy and soft, yet the inside is cold and refreshing?

…Something that would probably be perfect for a hot summer day?" Andou contributed helpfully. "Something that would cool someone down and yet have a deeper, delicate texture?"

"Yep." I grin slightly, "Then…I know exactly what to make."

~X~

Andou's eyebrows furrow, as if he's working out some difficult math problem or calculating the number of species in the world. He stares pointedly at the sweet I made that is still covered in a white cloth, "So…what is it?"

I watch his face carefully for his expression when I pull off the white cloth, "Surprise!"

The sweet in front of him is a cake. More accurately, it's a ice cream cake. I've already cut a slice out and ate it to try the taste. You can see the inside of the cake clearly, the softened red bean ice cream and the delicate pastry of the cake outside.

"…I thought ice cream cakes were just a block of ice cream that looked like a cake." Ichita rolled his eyes, "Why did you make it into an ice cream filling instead?"

"There'll be more flavor," Andou explains to his younger sibling. Sometimes I wonder how much patience is in that guy. My patience would be drained if I had so many younger siblings. Thankfully, I only have an older sister, so that's okay.

I cut a piece for Andou and a smaller piece for Ichita. They both widen their eyes at the same time, "Delicious!"

A triumphant smile crosses my lips, "Great!"

"I mean – not like it's delicious…" Ichita stutters, looking away as his face reddens more, "…It's…decent. For a guy. Like you."

I glare coldly at him, "Then you make one, hm?"

"Now, now…" Andou smiles sheepishly, "You guys…need to calm down. Anyway! Ma-kun, how about we go to La Reve Coleur now? You know, to help out?"

I'm silent. La Reve Coleur…There were so many memories made there. That competition against the heiress…When we tried to rise our sales…All the practices and sweets we invented and discovered…Just those three French words instantly send a chill down my spine. A picture starts forming in my mind. Her cheerful voice, the sound of chiming bells. Her experience and her talent to pick up the skills of baking so easily…

"Ma-kun! C'mon, let's go to help out! Yamagashi-san and Johnny seem to need us." Andou tries to convince me.

"Fine." I heave a big sigh, and we leave Yumezuki.

~X~

"Kashino-kun, please make your signature chocolate sweets!" Yamagashi begs quietly. I can see the desperation in her eyes. "The customers can taste the change in chocolate because of the difference in our tempering skills!"

"Okay, okay." I pat her shoulder, "You're acting like a frantic mouse."

"EXCUSE ME?" Yamagashi rolls her eyes. She goes to Andou and starts begging him for him to help her with some other baking procedure. Lowering my eyelids, obviously not out of amusement, I avoid Johnny and head towards the kitchen. I roll up my sleeves and prepare my tempering tools.

I haven't tempered in a while. For some reason, I've been slacking in my practice lately. I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm travelling all over the world recently. Casually, I grab my tempering tools. A wave of nostalgia floods me. It seems the tempering tools fit perfectly in my hands.

"Kashino, make me some chocolat chaud!"

"Kashino, I'm hungry! Can you make some sweets for me?"

"Kashino, you devil!"

I drop the tempering tools to the ground. It's like being insane. How can I hear her voice in my head when I hate her? It's more than weird. I wash my tempering tools that have been picked up from the ground. I rest my hands on the counter and lean forward, so the weight of my body is completely leaning on my hands.

I hear her voice again. The playful, soft voice of the melodies that birds would usually chirp in the morning. The gentle, kind voice that reminded me not to overwork myself. The innocent, quiet voice that begged me to buy more things for her. I could almost see a picture forming in my head again, where she was pouting. About to shake it off, I realize…

I gasp. No. I'm actually hearing her voice in_ reality_. Not in my head. This isn't a flashback. This is official – she came back, to La Reve Coleur.

And that was when my world came crashing down.

**Ichigo: Do I make a appearance soon? Do I make a appearance soon? Do I make a – **

**Me: You'll see…I'm not giving spoilers! :3**

**Ichigo: Aw, this is just all about Kashino and Andou…T.T I haven't even been mentioned yet…I'm just a 'enemy' of Kashino's…**

**Me: Yeah…Anyway! I hope you guys enjoyed that first chapter! xP Tell me what you think about it; if you found any places where I could improve or any moments you enjoyed. You can even take a guess on what's going to happen in the next chapter! xD Do you think Kashino will really meet Ichigo again? **

**:) REVIEW REPLIES :) **

**Animelover0508 – Ehe, I guess I never really liked writing tragedy stories. But Hurt/Comfort/Romance is fine by me! I'm going to start another Hurt/Comfort story about Kashigo soon, so please look forward to that! It'll be called "Amnesia and misunderstandings", by the way.**

**And you didn't take up the whole page. xP Feel free to continue rambling…And, this is the update! What did you think of it? **

**ICCFOWIGSM – Thank you! Your short review really brightened up my day and made me smile. And I continued it! I'm glad you liked it! xD I thought it was pretty fitting for Kashino, too.**

**Love Sparkles – Ooh! Thanks! Suggestions received. I'm glad you liked the chapter! What did you think of this update?**

**The Chibi Writer - LOL. x3 Your review made me laugh. Honest. But if it's not Ichigo; the plot won't flow! I'm sorry about that...And no! Makoto-kun is still Ichigo's...**

**Guest - Aww, you're a very nice person. Konnichiwa! Life is going well for me, but I'm starting school now though. I'm pretty surprised. I'm usually not very good at summaries (check out the summaries for my other stories)...so I'm glad you stumbled upon this story! :) Thanks for reading! How was this chapter? **

**Me: Also, thank you to ICCFOWIGSM, KawaiiAnimeGirls and Leavepandasalone for favoriting this story! **

**Ichigo: Please review! :)**


	3. Why does she hate me?

**Me: GUYS. GUYS. GUYS. OMG! :3**

**Kashino: What's wrong with you?**

**Me: I'm so excited for this chapter! Although it's only 1.4k, and I rambled a little too much –**

**Ichigo: That's okay Hoshimi-chan! You just got a little carried away with the descriptions, ne?**

**Me: Wow. Ichigo. Your personality is too nice. **

**Kashino: Are you – **

**Me: Yep, that was what I was implying. Unlike a certain someone, Ichigo is way nicer. I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere and please enjoy this update! **

Reunion

Chapter Two: Why does she hate me?

I freeze. My thoughts race in my mind. It's as if my heart has been frozen. Solid. Stopped. Yet, my hands are trembling. No, my ears must be wrong. It's not true. Ichi – Amano couldn't have come back. I hate her. She's cruel. She's heartless. She left me. She wouldn't come back for me. She refused to even look back at me. All these years, we've never contacted. She would never bother to consider my feelings. I close my eyes painfully, more flashbacks replaying in my mind. My fists are clutched tightly.

Emotions surge in my heart. Almost like a hallucination, I fight with myself in my mind. I shouldn't go out to see her. I shouldn't go out and find her. She left me and abandoned me. I hate her. Why would I be so desperate for someone I was absolutely sure I detested? She had no respect for me. She never loved me. But…

Maybe if I went out to find her, she would explain it to me. Why she abandoned me. Why she decided she didn't want me anymore. Why she didn't want to marry me. Why she left me out in the cold. Why she…Why she…Why she did everything she did to hurt me. And maybe, just maybe, she'd love me again. A twinge of hope clicks in my heart. Suddenly, I smile.

What am I thinking? Doing? Thoughts on Amano aren't supposed to make me smile. Even if that clumsy baka had romantic feelings for me, I still hate her.

My body acts exactly opposite to what I'm thinking. One of my tempering tools in hand, I run out of the kitchen. I must look pretty strange. I didn't bother to wear my patissier outfit; so instead, I decide to keep on my casual clothes. This makes me look like a customer. Yet, I run out of the kitchen and I have a tempering tool in my right hand.

Ignoring the customers' rude stares, her voice stands out again. Her back is facing me, so she hasn't seen me yet. She's speaking to Yamagashi. Yamagashi looks more cheerful than she ever did, her eyes sparkling. It's like how she looked like back when she talked to Amano. The trust, respect and friendship…

I'm sure she came back now. Happiness spreads through me as I rush to tap Amano on the shoulder. I grab her hand to turn her around. I have so many questions flooding me already. Why did you leave me? Why couldn't we marry each other? Why did you leave me out, right there in the cold?

She turns around and my heart sinks. I can almost sense my face falling. Disappointed, I stare at her.

She's…

Amano Natsume.

~X~

From her light brown colored hair to her dark honey eyes, there's no doubt about it. I suddenly feel really foolish. I swallow the lump that just formed in my throat. Dropping her hand, my bangs carefully cover the emotions brimming in my eyes. I mutter an apology under my breath. Hastily, I run back to the kitchen, almost in slow motion.

Tears have welled up in my eyes. I don't know why. I want to stop the tears, so I wipe them away quickly with the sleeve of my shirt, hoping that I don't have red eyes. I bite my lip to stop more tears trickling down. Why am I doing this? I'm not sad not meeting the Amano I was looking for. It wasn't like we were destined to meet again, anyway. She hates me. I hate her. It's as simple as that.

That's when it really sinks in. She never loved me. Why do I still care about her? She abandoned me! There's no chance that she'll ever love me again. No matter how hard I plead, no matter how much I beg, no matter how much I say I love her…

She would never _ever _reciprocate my feelings.

~X~

"Kashino-kun!" Yamagashi calls me, "What's up? You looked a little shocked just now, when you met Natsume-chan."

I wash the tempering tool, waiting for the chocolate sweet I made to bake in the oven. Quiet, I don't try to break the silence. The peaceful, calm ticking of the clock soothes me slightly. It's simple and consistent. Tick. Tock. Tick tock. Beat by beat, the seconds trickle away. When I turn to look at the person behind me, Yamagashi has already sat down. She has her eyes closed. As if she knows that someone is staring at her, she opens them instantly.

"You know, you can always go help out by serving the customers outside…Jeez, you're so inconsiderate." Yamagashi scowls. She's about to stand up, but I push her shoulders down firmly, allowing her to sit down.

My face burning, I look away, "I guess I don't mind helping you out…A little. Y-You can sit down…You need rest, right?"

"Th-Thanks, Kashino-kun."

~X~

I walk out of the kitchen, tying the apron around me by securing the ribbon behind me. I look more like a waiter now, so I can blend in with the workers of La Reve Coleur. I grin gently, looking around, alert for people who are waving for the worker's attention.

Suddenly, a person raises their hand to catch my attention. My heart sinks and my lips are suddenly very dry. It's Natsume. Amano's sister. For the first time in my life, I briefly ponder on the thought. Would Amano's younger sister actually know about why Amano left me?

"How may I help you?" I struggle to grin, but I manage to do a weak smile.

She's not looking up from the menu yet, "Hm, I was thinking…This Linda foret seems pretty good! I'd like to order it, please – "

She looks up and realizes it's me. Her eyes automatically widen, and her lips immeadility form a scowl. Bitterly, she stands up, "You're glad, aren't you? That you managed to get Ichigo to suffer. Instead of you."

I'm shocked. When did…I-Ichigo suffer, in my place…? And what does Natsume know? About Ichigo? What happened to her? I'm slightly worried, questions flooding my mind.

She raises her hand, and to be honest, I'd thought she would call for another waiter, since she looks a little mad. However, she raises it near the left part of my face. And slaps . It's so loud, it sounds like someone clapping. My face burns as everyone in the shop stares at us.

They're probably assuming that we're a couple. That moment when the girl wants to break up. Wants to dump the boy. Is sick of her boyfriend.

Except, we're not. I've already experienced this feeling. When Ichigo left me. It hurt almost as much as the slap. Okay, no. It hurt more than the slap. A lot more…

I'm shocked. What did I ever do? Questions whirl around my mind like whirlpools in the sea. I'm confused. I'm bewildered. I feel lost. Strangely, it's the exact emotion I felt when Ichigo left. When she walked away from me, not even turning to look back.

Tears well up in my eyes, and I grit my teeth to get rid of them. My vision blurs slightly due to the tears. Trying to forget them, I roll my eyes slightly. It seems to be even more of an insult to Natsume. She picks up her bag from the chair that she was sitting on moments ago and seems to being struggling to keep on a lid for her temper.

No. No. No. I am not going to cry. I'm the sweets prince. Not the flirtatious, confident playboy Hanabusa. Not the calming, sweet big-brother, Andou. I'm the blunt, sadistic, emotionless chocolate sweets prince. Kashino Makoto would NOT cry in a moment like this.

My left cheek is burning. I blush a lot, and I never felt the sensation of my face actually on fire. Now I know what it's like. It hurts, a lot. More than I ever thought it would. Natsume glares at me, "This is!"

She grabs my collar and I'm slightly intimidated, "All your fault!"

She shakes me hard. I'm stunned that she is in such a state of fury. If I heard her right, she knows that Ichigo took my place to suffer? …But then…I watch the back view of her as she stomps out the shop. I'm shaken and even more bewildered.

What I don't understand is…

Why does she hate me?

**Me: Sorry for the cliffhanger…Heh. I couldn't resist for this chapter. xP Anyway, how was the chapter? **

**Natsume: You're right Kashino-kun, this Hoshimi-chan portrays characters in such an evil, cruel way…She made me seem like a horribly heartless person.**

**Kashino: Yeah, I know. She tortured me so much in the other story. You should check it out, it's called – **

**Me: HEY! T-T Natsume! You have a reason to slap him; it'll be explained in the next chapter! **

**Natsume: Yay! Okay then! Let's move on to the review replies!**

**Me: Well, her emotions change fast…**

**~REVIEW REPLIES~**

**:) First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed this story! You guys are awesome! Seriously, no matter if you thought your review was short or long, you guys really brightened up my day. Free virtual hugs for you all! xD**

**Animelover0508 – Aww, you're so sweet, Minty-chan! No matter what, you'll always be there for me. xP I don't deserve a friend like you! And LOL! :3 I enjoyed writing that description. I just thought I might write some detail about Andou's house. Heh, thanks so much! For some reason, I can't resist writing cliffhangers for this story...Did you like this cliffhanger?**

**ICCFOWIGSM – Thanks! Yep! Definitely a part I enjoyed writing. When Kashino says he hates Ichigo and yet she's stuck in his mind all the time…:) Did you enjoy this chapter? Tell me what you think! xD**

**mimi – LOL. Short review. xP Heh, that's okay! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Here's the update! Did you like it? **

**Love sparkles – Yep! Thanks for the reminder. I made Kashino call Lemon "Yamagashi" if you noticed. Last chapter, I wrote "Lemon". Oops. Forgot. In Kashino's POV, most of the girls are called by their last names…Anyway! Thanks for the reminder! You're awesome too! **

**Me: That's so many reviews! xP You guys are definitely the best! **

**Natsume: By the way guys, Hoshimi-chan would like to thank Animelover0508 for favoriting this story!**

**Me: Yep! And thank you Dream girl675, ICCFOWIGSM, KawaiiAnimeGirls, and lovelysweetbunny for following this story! You guys mean so much to me! Oh, and by the way, this is my first update after I started school. So, if you guys want anything in particular updated first, please tell me! xD**

**Natsume: Please review! :) **


	4. Yamagashi Lemon

**Me: Hi everyone! :) I'm back, guys!**

**Ichigo: Hey Hoshimi-chan! :3 Nice to see you again!**

**Kashino: I thought we got rid of you and your horrible writing style 'cause you were going back to school. **

**Me: Well, you're nice, Kashino. That was such a **_**friendly **_**welcome. Anyway, there's something called weekends here, Kashino. I'm planning to publish three updates all before Monday rolls around, guys! XP I'm super excited to start!**

**Ichigo: The first one is this update, the latest chapter of "Reunion", titled "Yamagashi Lemon"! xD**

**Me: :3 Yep! Then the second update is the second chapter of "Amnesia and misunderstandings", titled "Might never wake up". **

**Kashino: …And then the third update will be a brand new story in a different fandom, right? **

**Me: Yep! It's called "Electricity Crisis", belonging to the Maid-sama! fandom. It's first chapter is titled "Total Darkness". Oh and just a head's up, this chapter is only 1.5 k! Please enjoy this chapter and as usual, I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere. xP**

Reunion

Chapter Three: Yamagashi Lemon

The question is burning in my mind. I don't understand; what is the answer? What did I do? Why does Natsume hate me? I didn't do anything to her. I'm dumbfounded and confused. Certain a throbbing headache would start, I stagger into the kitchen and collapse into the most comfortable chair. Before I close my eyes to rest and allow my thoughts to flow, someone with long yellow hair and pale golden eyes comes after me into the kitchen. Probably one of the waitresses. Yamagashi, maybe?

I focus my thoughts on the question that is bugging me. Why does Natsume hate me? I don't remember hating Natsume's feelings. My brain tries to process my thoughts, but they're all very messy. What's wrong with me? I'm supposed to concentrate. I'm supposed to figure out why Amano's younger sister hates me. As far as I'm concerned, Natsume's only furious at me, and she's not mad at anyone else.

When she came into Le Reve Coleur, she was cheerful and friendly. I automatically frown. Cheerful and friendly…That makes her sound like Ichigo. Just those two adjectives reminds me of Natsume's older sister. I picture her. Her long, wavy beautiful brown hair, to her soft pleading chocolate brown eyes. They've almost always etched in my mind, though I have no idea why. The playful, carefree personality, and the bright, contagious smile that made me grin at her. Something in my chest doesn't feel right. It's like a burden on my shoulder, or a burning ache of yearning and regret. I shake the thoughts out of my mind. I _hate _Amano Ichigo; so I'm not supposed to think of her…

Right?

Suddenly, two sentences I never realized were repeating are echoing in my mind. They've been repeating ever since Natsume yells at me. It's like I'm hopeless, as if I was stuck in a dark, scary vortex with endless echoes. Feeling uncomfortable, I realize the two sentences are very memorable to me. Not in a good way, though.

"_You're glad, aren't you? That you managed to get Ichigo to suffer. Instead of you."_

"_This is! All your fault!"_

I'm even more bewildered. Her bitter, regretful voice…As if she was mourning over the fact that she wasn't able to save her older sister. It frustrates me, why am I the only one kept in the dark? What don't I know? What does Natsume know? What happened to Ichigo?

"Hey, Kashino-kun…" Her voice breaks me out of my daze; I realize she's greeting me tentatively because she wants me to acknowledge her appearance. That's right…I've ignored her ever since she's chased after me into the kitchen.

I stare at the person who's talking to me. Raising my eyebrows questioningly, I realize it's Yamagashi, who walked in seconds ago. She looks a little scared of me. Maybe people are a little nervous to approach me when I look mad. When I'm bewildered. Or confused. Or both.

"Hi." I say flatly before faking a weak smile at her, "Why don't you go and serve the customers, Yamagashi?"

"I just thought I could check it you were okay." She admits, turning a little red. She adds the next part uncertainly, "You seemed…a little…disturbed back there."

The smile falters on my face. Disturbed? Of _course _I'm disturbed. My life is half destroyed due to a stupid girl called Amano Ichigo. We were dating, we were meant to end up with a happy ending. Then fate pulled her away from me. Then she disappeared. Then she _abandoned me_. Many months later, her younger sister says she hates me. I grit my teeth, managing to maintain my friendly attitude, though I say nothing.

Seeing that I don't reply, Yamagashi continues anxiously. It's like I'll explode anytime. As much as it's kind of hilarious to see her cower in fear like a scared mouse, I don't like people seeing me in that way. It makes me feel unwelcome.

"Hey, um, what did you…What did you do to…Natsume-chan?" Yamagashi inquires politely, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

The smile on my face a few seconds ago is completely gone, replaced by a sour look. I want to slap her right across her face, just like Natsume did to me. Why doesn't she understand that I never did anything to Natsume? Why doesn't she know that I have the equal amount of knowledge about Natsume and Ichigo as she does? Why can't she leave me alone? Why doesn't she…Words are pouring out of my mouth like a flood now, almost like water. I can't even stop them if I wanted to. Like a volcano about to erupt, I stand up and start yelling at Yamagashi. I'm shouting with all my might, bitter and bewildered with my life.

"What did I do Natsume? What did I do to _Natsume_? I don't even know about her, Yamagashi! Why do you guys put so much stress and pressure on me? Okay, here are some facts: One, I _hate _Amano Ichigo, so I don't care if she's suffering in my place or not! Two, I have no idea why Amano Natsume hates me. So stop bothering me about it like a pestering, annoying _mosquito_! Three, I have the exact same knowledge about the two Amano sisters a few years ago and now! Can you leave me freaking alone?"

She seems taken aback, by the way her features look a little distorted. I can tell she doesn't like people screaming at her. Well, who does? I'm a little regretful of my actions now, though I feel just the teeny bit better. You can't take words back, so I grumpily sit down in my chair. Yamagashi lowers her head slightly, almost like bowing in apology to me. "I'm sorry."

The awkward silence between us is like the thick fog on a rainy spring day. It's like the distance between us is dragging longer and longer, to the point we can't even see each other anymore.

She looks like she has tears glistening in her pale golden eyes. It makes me a little unhappy to see her like that. Finally, I open my mouth to respond, "It's fine. It was mostly my fault, anyway. I'm confused. So I don't act like myself. To express how bewildered I am. So…I'm sorry, Yamagashi."

"Yeah, it's okay." Yamagashi smiles warmly at me. I return a bright grin that disappears a few seconds later. She continues, biting her lip, "Ne, Kashino-kun, you know…You know, you could be a lot more nicer and have a more friendly attitude if you called people by their first names. Or with an honorific, you know?"

"What? First names and honorifics? That's stupid." I snort, an evil plan suddenly creeping into my mind. I suddenly smirk mischievously, "Wait…Like Hanabusa?"

She widens her eyes as I flick my hair and grab her by her shoulders. I tilt her face upwards so she's staring at me. Her cheeks redden, which makes me blush too. Still role-playing Hanabusa, I flash a flirtatious smile at Yamagashi and look deep into her eyes. There's a little anxiety and…A feeling I can't describe. It's like how Ichigo looked when Ichigo stared at me. When we were dating. Still beaming, I lean in even closer to Yamagashi. "Of course, my lovely princess. Ah, how I absolutely adore you, Lemon-chan!"

"Okay! Stop it!" Yamagashi struggles against me.

"Stop what?" I blink, still pretending to be Hanabusa. That green-haired narcissist actually does have a lot of flirting techniques…Well, I learnt them along the way. How he greeted people was absolutely stupidly abnormal. I'd take him as an insane person who ran out of a mental hospital if someone greeted me like that.

"Go back to your blunt, rude, sadistic, emotionless, chocolate sweets prince self!"

I release her shoulders, dumbfounded. The 'irresistible smile' that Hanabusa taught me slid right away. I'm amused. "I act like a blunt, rude, sadistic, and emotionless sweets prince that specializes in chocolate?"

"Ye…" Yamagashi turns red, as if she didn't want to expose the fact to me. She reddens even more and folds her arms to look away. "Yeah."

"Then why would you bring up a topic like this anyway?" I grumble, "Like being Hanabusa, calling people by their first names and with the honorific."

"I'm just saying it's more polite." She mutters, her two ponytails, one on the left and one of the right, swinging slightly, "I mean, you would make more friends like that. Like, that's why I call you Kashino-kun."

"What would you call me if it wasn't just out of politeness?"

"The blunt rude sadistic and emotionless sweets prince that specializes in chocolate." She rolls her eyes as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "Well, what would you expect?"

"Hi, rude girl that makes up random strange nicknames for people."

We stare at each other for a few seconds, our eyes flickering at each other. Finally, I can't help it. I bend over and collapse into laughter. She bursts into laughter as well. It's kind of funny how people say that you think of better, creative ideas if you're relaxed. I'm feeling so carefree now; almost like how Ichigo always used to act. In fact, I feel like Ichigo. I'd be able to create any sweet now. I'd be able to think up of anything now. I'd be able to invent anything now. I'd be able to answer any question now. I'd be able to do anything now. I'd be able to solve anything now.

I'd be able to do _anything _now.

Then something clicks into my mind. My eyes instantly widen and my heartbeat increases, so fast and so loud that I can hear it thumping in my ears like the beats of a drum. The bitter, regretful voice echoes in my mind again. For about the hundredth time.

_That you manage to get Ichigo to suffer. Instead of you. _

And the answer, the answer to why Natsume hates me, is almost as clear as the sky, in my mind. I understand immeadility why she loathes me. I mean, if I was her…I'd hate myself, too.

I need to find Natsume.

**Me: So…what did you guys think of that chapter? I hoped you guys enjoyed it! xD **

**Kashino: The update was bad. And why are you hinting that I'm a couple with Yamagashi?**

**Me: Your opinion is not valid. Though, uh huh! LemonxKashino is included on purpose in this chapter. Kinda awkward, I guess, but I just wanted to see how you guys would look together! :3**

**Natsume: Hoshimi-chan, why didn't I make an appearance in this chapter? **

**Me: Gomen. Dx But I promise, you do make an appearance in the next chapter!**

**~REVIEW REPLIES~**

**OMG. You guys are too nice. Thanks to all of you guys, this is currently my most popular story~! And the sweet things all of you say! ARGH. I'm smiling at my computer like an idiot now. Darn it. **

**amr29 – Yep! The cliffhanger hasn't been solved yet! Not in this chapter, anyways. I'm not sure if it'll be revealed in the next chapter. Probably. Let's just see how it'll go! ;) **

**ICCFOWIGSM – Ehehe…I'm sorry! T.T You guys were expecting Kashino to meet Ichigo and reunite with her? …But…Yeah. Whoa. I feel so bad for writing that chapter now. And aww, thank you! Your review is just too nice! Sorry about the suspense; and the fact you still don't know why Ichigo was apparently hurt, and why Natsume hates Kashino! XP**

**krikanalo – I'm glad you enjoyed my story! …LOL. X3 You gave me a pretty short review, but that's fine! Thanks anyways! By the way, how did you like this update?**

**Animelover0508 – *expects super long review and receives super short review* LOL! :3 Whatever! I love your reviews; short or long! And…There was humor in the chapter? I didn't notice…I thought it was kinda weird the fact that Kashino met Natsume though. What do you think of this chapter?**

**MissLovelyPrincess – You're too kind! Heh. I wish I could write a lot of dialogue. Usually, I only write a lot of dialogue for humor stories. xP I don't know why I tend to over-describe with stories like this though! And I updated; how did you like this third little chapter?**

**Me: By the way, thank you to amr29, Starlovers, and AkiDivina for favoriting this story! And all those readers-who-don't-review out there, don't think I would forget about you guys! xD Thank you, thank you!**

**Ichigo: Also, thank you to hrhfanficlover for following this story!**

**Me: Please review! :) Oh, and by the way guys, I'm not very satisfied with the name of this chapter. If you have any suggestions on what to call it, please tell me and I'll find the most suitable one to name this chapter! xP **

**See ya in my next update~! **


End file.
